A warm embrace and words of thanks and praise were exchanged on Wednesday morning between two strangers brought together by a Bible found laying on a Tyler sidewalk last week.

Robert Mitchell, a University of Texas at Tyler music student, wrapped his arms around Lorraine Olson and hugged her tight, with a smile on his face as he told her “thank you.”

Ms. Olson told him he was welcome and she was just glad to help. 

Robert then handed her a pot of little red flowers.

“These are for you,” he said. 

The story began last week when Ms. Olson found the King James Bible on the sidewalk in front of the Pep Boys store on South Broadway in Tyler.

Inside the black leather-bound Bible, inscribed with the name Robert Lane Mitchell, was a note from Robert’s mother, which began, “To my dearest son. I thank God for you daily. What a wonderful young man you are and I am delighted to not only call you son, but more importantly brother in Christ.”

Ms. Olson said she was having her car serviced at Wagner Cadillac early last week and decided she wanted some breakfast, so she walked up Broadway to the nearby McDonald’s to get something to eat.

“I was walking up the sidewalk and found the Bible laying there on the sidewalk, and knew someone must have dropped it, so I picked it up,” she said. 

Ms. Olson said as she continued to wait for her car, she took the Bible with her to First Christian Church at the corner of Broadway and Loop 323 to see if anyone knew the person to whom it belonged. 

Ms. Olson said her next thought was to bring the Bible to the Tyler Morning Telegraph office, where she believed someone would be able to assist her in finding the owner. 

The newspaper was able to get a message to Robert’s brother, who in turn contacted his sibling with news the Bible had been found. 

Robert called the newspaper and had some questions. 

“Where was it found and is it in good shape?” he asked.

The Bible, enclosed in a white cover, was undamaged.

But how did it end up on a sidewalk on South Broadway?

“This is so awesome. I am shaking right now,” he said on the phone Tuesday. 

He explained he and his roommate were outside their residence on U.S. Highway 271 north, near UT Health Northeast, talking when he put the Bible on the roommate’s pickup hood. 

“I completely zoned out and forgot about it, went inside and went to sleep. The next morning when he got up, he drove off with it still on the hood. I guess he didn’t see it because the windshield was icy that morning,” he said.

Robert said his roommate works at Auto Zone, just down the street from Pep Boys. 

“It’s amazing that it stayed on his hood all the way from where we live to right there by where he works. You would think it would have fallen off with all the turns he made on his way to work,” he said. “I still can’t believe it.”

Robert told his mom the news of the missing Bible and she prayed it would be returned to her son. 

“I was actually bawling when I read the story on line yesterday. I thank God for this woman and I don’t know what else to say,” she said. “I’m glad he got it back, because it means a lot to us.” 

Robert told Ms. Olson her act was a true testimony of God’s love. 

“I am really grateful, and I’m very appreciative of this woman’s heart and her service,” he said. 

Ms. Olson smiled and hugged Robert again saying again he was welcome. 

“I would absolutely want this back if it was me. I figure it has a lot of sentimental value to him since his mother wrote that beautiful note to him inside. It is definitely something I would want back,” Ms. Olson said.